The woman behind Bonobos' most hated ad is its new CEO

Founder Andy Dunn announced he was stepped down as CEO in a Linkedin blog post on Tuesday, but did not reveal his next move.

Onvural served as Bonobos’ chief marketing officer for two years.

While serving that role, Bonobos put out what Dunn has called a its most controversial ad campaign.

Bonobos has a new look, and it’s not just its fall line.

The men’s clothing company has a new CEO. Micky Onvural, which has served as Bonobos’ chief marketing officer for nearly two years, will take over the role starting immediately.

BonobosMicky Onvural

Andy Dunn, who founded Bonobos in 2007, announced the news in a blog post on Linkedin. Dunn did not say where he is going next, but he also holds the role of senior vice president at Bonobos’ parent brand, Walmart.

In his message, Dunn listed Onvural’s accomplishments and qualifications. The first was what Dunn called “courage,” for Onvural’s spearheading of a new ad campaign for Bonobos.

Called #EvolvetheDefition, it sought to redefine what masculinity for men. It featured men talking to a camera about the dictionary definition of maculine and the problems related to how narrow that is.

The ad was not well received across the board.

With over 10 million views on YouTube, the ad has more than twice as many dislikes as likes. Comments on the video, which Bonobos has notably not turned off, include “You guys aren’t trying to evolve the definition you’re trying to deform it.”

To Dunn, Onvural’s campaign was a success in terms of planting Bonobos’ flag as a brand that “stands for something.”

“Instead of being disappointed in Micky for not delivering a more universally loved campaign, we are grateful to her for her leadership in standing firm on a powerful message,” Dunn wrote in his blog post.

Onvural’s promotion and Dunn’s highlighting of the ad could be a sign of Bonobos’ future as a more belief-oriented brand.

It would be a shrewd move by the retailer. Around 60% of millennials identified as “belief-driven buyers” globally,according to a 2017 study by Edelman. In fact, half of all customers in the survey said they bought based on belief.